by Jen Owen, N.P. | Apr 3, 2025 | Seasonal Health
It’s that time of year again…allergy season.
Yesterday I was trying to sit out on my deck and enjoy the beautiful day, but the pollen was everywhere. I could feel it in my throat and it made my eyes burn. I felt like I had a coating of it all over me, not to mention how much accumulated on my devices in a very short time.
My symptoms don’t usually go much farther than a scratchy throat and a dry cough at night. I attribute the mildness to starting to take stinging nettle early in the season. Nettle seems to work better if you start it before the allergy season begins, usually around 4-6 weeks before. Also, in order for nettles to work for your allergies, it has to have the stinging component intact. This means you need to take it in the form of a fresh extract or freeze-dried capsules. Drinking nettle tea is great for a lot of things, but not allergies.
If you didn’t start your nettles early enough, take note for next year. Mark your calendar now. Yes, stop a second and put it in your phone or you’ll forget as soon as you close this page.
Okay, so what else can you do if your symptoms have started?
Here are some of my most used allergy remedies. As always, if you take other medications or have health issues or concerns, please ask your health care provider before making any changes to your healthcare regimen.
Eliminate or Limit Dairy:
Dairy can be very mucus forming for a lot of people. I find that many of my patients have less allergy symptoms when they quit or decrease their dairy intake before and during allergy season. Foods high in dairy include cow milk, cheese, sour cream, yogurt, cottage cheese, and half-n-half.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a natural antihistamine and immune booster. During allergy season, you can greatly increase your dose. Most adults do fine with around 5,000mg daily in divided doses. You always know you took too much C if you get loose stools.
Quercetin
Quercetin is found natural in foods such as onions, broccoli, apples, berries, and grapes. It has been studied for its effectiveness to block histamine (what your body releases when exposed to things you’re allergic to) and stop the inflammation that happens in the body with allergies. You can increase foods high in quercetin and/or supplement between 500-1000mg/day for adults.
Bromelain
Bromelain is a plant enzyme found in pineapple. It’s helpful to take with quercetin as it seems to help with absorption. Bromelain is known to be anti-inflammatory, so can help with swelling in the sinus passages and throat. It’s often found in allergy supplements with quercetin. On its own, the adult dose is 100-400mg daily.
N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC)
NAC is the precursor to glutathione, one of the most important antioxidants in the body. It seems to thin mucus, so it makes it easier to blow your nose and is an expectorant to assist you in coughing out any mucus in the lungs. The typical adult dose of NAC is around 400mg daily.
Over-the-counter Antihistamines
Because I’m an integrative (combine modern, conventional medicine with natural medicine) practitioner, I always present my clients with all possible choices. Sometimes over-the-counter drugs, like Claritin, Zyrtec, and Allegra are very helpful. If you choose to take any of these drugs, be aware that they can reduce your essential fatty acids, so be sure to eat fatty fish, nuts, seeds, and other foods high in the omegas. Also watch out for antihistamines that end with -D. These usually contain pseudoephedrine, which can raise blood pressure, cause issues with some medications, and give you a “racing ” heart feeling.
Also, be careful with taking too much Benadryl. This drug crosses the blood-brain barrier, so over time could affect your brain and mental state and should be used with extreme caution in the elderly.
If your allergies are very severe every year, there may be other underlying health issues that need addressing. I’d be more than happy to help you explore this in an appointment at my clinic. You can access my schedule here.
Take great care and I hope this allergy season passes with ease for you!
Please share this post with your friends and family who might need some help with their allergies right now.
by Jen Owen, N.P. | Mar 28, 2025 | Mind-Body Medicine
Written by Jody Cecil, Licensed Professional Counselor
The practice of mindfulness, a state of being present to the moment without judgment or evaluation, can be a powerful tool in managing stress, anxiety, pain, and improving our overall physical and mental health. Years ago, while preparing for a group session on mindfulness, I discovered a short film on YouTube, Just Breathe. It turns out, not only can children practice mindfulness, but they may also be our best teachers.
Rather than share a few paragraphs of information about this ancient skill, I invite you to pause and watch the 3:41 minute documentary by Julie Bayer Salzman & Josh Salzman. Listen and watch as elementary school children share how they navigate the big feeling of anger, Just Breathe.
As I watch, I personally connect with their stories and experiences of anger. We’ve all been there when “mad takes over our bodies”. Sometimes we feel it rising within us, don’t we? The squeezing of hands, blood rushing to our faces, shallow breaths. Other times, anger or other overwhelming emotions hit us like a flash of lightning. Whether we’re able to notice the signs before or after, mindfulness offers us a pathway to calm.
When working with my clients at Taking Root Counseling, I often invite us to experience a new skill rather than talking about it. Today, will you join me and a sweet group of children and just breathe?
As a licensed professional counselor, Jody sees clients both virtually and in person at the Flourish Center. She uses a variety of modalities to help her clients in reaching their goals including Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Trauma-Informed Stabilization Treatment (TIST), Internal Family Systems (IFS), and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). Whatever modality is used, Jody values the uniqueness and strengths of each person and invites them to embrace healing wholistically.
by Jen Owen, N.P. | Mar 21, 2025 | Integrative Medicine
Written by our Integrative Medicine Nurse Practitioner, Jen Owen
Every year at springtime, I’m asked a lot of questions about detoxing. I, myself, have tried just about everything there is for cleansing the body: complete fasting, juice fasting, supplement regimens, cleanses, etc.
The main thing I’ve learned from all of this and from working with people who have tried the same, is that 99% of the time, the body will detox itself, if you allow it to. One of the main ways our bodies detox is from a powerful antioxidant called glutathione.
Glutathione is constantly being produced and can be found in almost every cell in a healthy individual.The highest levels are found in the liver, making it very important in detoxification. Levels of production are reduced by pollution, stress, foods that cause inflammation, toxins, medications, radiation, aging, etc.
Glutathione acts very similarly to a sticky bug tape, going through the blood stream and sticking to toxins, viruses, and even heavy metals. It is normally recycled and reused. When the toxic load becomes too great, glutathione production and recycling decreases.
When we can no longer detox properly, we become sick. Low glutathione levels have been found in chronic infections, chronic fatigue syndrome, cancer, autoimmune disease, heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, asthma, Parkinson’s disease, liver disease, kidney issues, and much more. Glutathione is very important for the proper functioning of the immune system and for keeping every cell in the body healthy.
Tthere are many ways you can change your way of living to positively affect this detox process. One of the most obvious and most often ignored ways is exercise. Exercise increases your glutathione levels, which will increase your detoxification and immune system actions. Be sure you are getting cardiovascular exercise, such as fast walking, jogging, aerobics. Start with 5-10 minutes per day and work up to 30 minutes daily for optimal health.
The next obvious, but often ignored way to increase your glutathione levels, is eating supportive foods and the rainbow diet. Processed foods, fast foods, factory-farmed meat and dairy often contain preservatives and other chemicals that increase the burden on the detoxifying mechanisms in our bodies.
This leads to more work and eventually less glutathione production. Sulfur-containing foods, such as onions, garlic, and cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, kale, cauliflower, cabbage, collards, etc.) actually increase your glutathione production, so be sure to eat some of these every day, if they you tolerate them well.
The other way to increase glutathione levels is by using supplements. There are several that can be added, including liposomal glutathione, N-acetyl cysteine, selenium, vitamins B6, B12, C, and E, alpha lipoic acid, and more. I usually wait to add supplements until I am sure the person is exercising and eating the rainbow. The only way to fix problems for good is to fix the reasons they got there in the first place, which is often from eating less ideal foods and lack of exercise.
I think we can all agree on that, right?
So, if you are thinking of trying one of the oh-so-popular detoxes or cleanses out there for “spring cleaning”, first examine your day-to-day habits.
Are you eating the most optimal foods possible for your body?
Are you getting your blood pumping on a daily basis?
If not, save your money and start there!
You’ll be amazed at how much better you feel, how much better you sleep, and how much your life will improve when you care for yourself daily through excellent food and movement!
What are your thoughts about all of this? I would love to hear from you in the comment section below and please share this article with your friends!
And if you need extra help, I’m here for you. Schedule an appointment with me here.
by Jen Owen, N.P. | Mar 7, 2025 | Mind-Body Medicine
Written by our Licensed Professional Counselor, Jody Cecil
When sharing their goals with me in session, clients often express their longing for peace. Perhaps they seek respite from symptoms of anxiety or depression. Or they long to feel safe and secure in a world that feels unstable. Many of us believe we’ll experience peace when all stressors are removed, when all problems are solved. However, the reality is that peace comes from within and can be cultivated even in the presence of challenges.
Feeling peaceful means experiencing a state of calm and tranquility, where the mind and body are at ease. It involves a sense of inner harmony and balance, free from stress, anxiety, and disturbances. When we feel peaceful, we can think clearly, make decisions with a calm mind, and manage our emotions effectively. How is it possible to experience peace when we have no control of events or environment around us?
The Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute has developed a resource called the Peace Protocol, a five step guide to modulating emotional and physiological arousal and building resilience. I encourage you to check out their one-page document, but here are the steps:
P – Pause what you are doing to briefly identify bodily signals of unrest
E – Embody a somatic resource that feels supportive in your body in this moment
A – Acknowledge the positive effects of the resource
C – Concentrate your attention on the positive effects of the resource for 15 seconds or more
E – Engage with your environment
What makes this protocol somewhat different from practices such as mindfulness or meditation is the focus on savoring the positive effects of the resource or “A”, acknowledging the positive shift in your body. What does this mean? Imagine yourself in a stressful situation. Your body communicates its distress through tension, shortness of breath and a racing heart. You decide to stand up, feel your feet on the ground and lengthen your spine. You then notice yourself breathing more deeply. Your shoulders have dropped, and you feel your heart slowing down. Linger and truly sense into the positive changes. As you do, you’re deepening the experience of peace.
As you practice the Peace Protocol, remember to be gentle with yourself. New practices take time to develop. If you feel you need additional support in finding peace and resourcing, please contact Jody. As a licensed professional counselor trained in the modalities of Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, Jody specializes in collaborating with her clients to find peace – emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually. You can find information about Jody at Taking Root Counseling.
by Jen Owen, N.P. | Feb 21, 2025 | Integrative Medicine
Written By Our Nurse Practitioner, Jen Owen
Earlier this week, I had a bad day. I woke up in a funk and it was downhill from there. It reminded me of one of my favorite children’s books, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst. Do you know that one?
The main character, a young boy named, Alexander, wakes up on the wrong side of the bed. From that point on, he decides it is going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. He finds evidence of this everywhere he goes and in every interaction. He decides that the only way out is to go to Australia.
It truly wasn’t a good day. He even voiced his concerns to his family and they ignored him. After many negative things happened, it was finally time for bed. As Alexander reflects on his terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day, he states, “Mom says some days are like that….even in Australia”.
Can you relate? It seems like a lot of people are having terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days these days.
Your day starts out lowsy. Then, you’re only paying attention to the negative things that are happening. Your instinct is to flee (read more about fleeing here). You can’t go to Australia, so you go to your phone, social media. tv, food, alcohol, etc.
You go to bed grumpy.
As you wake up the next day, you have choices…you could have another bad day, you could book a flight to Australia, or you can remember that some days are like that and choose to try to have a better day.
I know it’s not always that simple and yet oftentimes, it’s simply a choice.
It’s like this with health goals as well. You start out strong with listening to your body, eating food that helps you feel nourished, moving your body in ways that feel invigorating, cutting out things that cause you to feel depleted. You do great for a few days and then something happens and you lose your momentum. You don’t do all the things that support your well-being and then you flee.
You give up on all of it. You quit. You go back to the old way of doing things.
Then, later, you have to do it all again.
Sound familiar?
What if, when you have a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day, you wake up the next morning, forgive yourself, and just go right back to the supportive stuff?
You don’t have to give it all up because you went off track for one day. You can pick up right where you left off.
There will always be days like this…..even in Australia.
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